More Tomahawks for Our United Warriors

A World War II propaganda poster created by Native American Students from Santa Fe, New Mexico

During World War II, all Americans were called to help the war effort by investing in U.S. war bonds. All Americans.

This untrimmed World War II propaganda poster sheet, comprising three small individual posters, was created by three Native American students at the U.S. Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Published by the U.S. Government, the colorful poster sheet promotes the sale of bonds to finance the war. The poster sheet uses Native American scenes or imagery to depict their patriotism:

All over the country Americans still in school are making posters that tell how they feel about the war, and how they want others to feel. … All the poster-makers urge us to save, to conserve, to work with whatever talents we have at the wartime jobs that come to hand… The three posters on this page were made by boys who see America as the home their people have had always. They share it with us now and they see the war as their fight — to be fought with their ancient courage and cunning, but by modern methods.

The Native American imagery seen here includes sending smoke signals, an Indian war club or tomahawk, an adobe building, and an Appaloosa pony.

The ancient Indian tomahawk is contrasted favorably with a modern P-40 bomber airplane. Both are potent weapons against an aggressor.

The three Native American Poster artists are named and are given credit for their work. That the posters were made by actual Indians is an important part of the poster sheet’s propaganda message to all Americans. The three posters were intended to be cut out of the larger sheet and used individually. Each separate poster is banded by stars and stripes — red white and blue.

The larger poster at the bottom was illustrated by Ben Quintana (Ha-a-Tee). It shows Native American children going to a desert post office to buy war bonds. The smoke signal poster was a joint creation by Quintana and and Eva Mirabal (Eha-Ha-Wa). Charles Presbetonequa’s More Tomahawks poster incorporates war-time imagery and is, perhaps, the most successful propaganda design.

What We Are Talking About — Ben Quintana (Ha-a-Tee) (1920–1944); Eva Mirabal (Eha-Ha-Wa) (1920–1968); Charles Presbetonequa. [C. 1942 World War II Propaganda Poster by Native Americans Promoting the Sale of War Bonds]. [Washington, D.C.]: U.S. Government Printing Office (1942). [1]p. Broadside. 38 x 24 inches. Color illustrations.

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